Teachers who are teaching climate change in Israel: their profile and pedagogical characteristics

• In Event: Adapting Education and Teachers in the Face of the Environmental and Climate Crises

Proposal

This research investigates the integration of CC education (CCE) in Israeli schools, focusing on the teachers who are engaged in teaching this subject. The study identifies these educators as "activist change agents" and delves into their personal, emotional, and pedagogical experiences.
Background
While CCE is becoming a more prominent issue globally, many countries' formal education has lagged behind in addressing climate change (CC) in their national curriculum. Despite extensive discussions on how to effectively teach this subject, there remains no consensus on the optimal implementation method (Monroe et al.,2019), and teachers continue to perceive it as a significant pedagogical challenge (Leal Filho & Hemstock, 2019). The pedagogical challenge arises not only from the controversy surrounding this topic and its social and political dimensions but also from the emotional complexities it presents (Ojala, 2022; Pihkala, 2022).
In 2022, The Israeli Ministry of Education mandated to incorporate CC into the national curriculum. This marks a significant shift in educational policy, aiming to prepare future generations for the ecological challenges ahead (Keshet & Eilam, 2022). Nevertheless, the Israeli discourse is ignorant towards the subject and many teachers feel ill-equipped to teach the topic (Kranz et al., 2022; Seroussi et al., 2019), largely due to its multidimensional nature and the emotional burden it places on both educators and student. Therefore, teachers around the country are still unaware or unprepared to teach it, while may others simply choose not to teach it (Gan & Pizmony-Levi, 2023).
Methodology
This phenomenological qualitative research highlights that a small group of teachers has taken the initiative to integrate CC into their teaching practices, driven by their involvement in global environmental movements. These teachers are revealed to be activist change agents, who lead the change in the educational sphere in Israel and serve as the focal point of the study. A total of 19 interviews were conducted with teachers from various regions across the country, who teach CC in public schools through a range of subjects, including science, agriculture, fashion design, English, mathematics, and computer science.
Data analysis was performed using Atlas.ti software and followed a two-stage process to finalize the categories. In the first stage, preliminary coding was developed through an inductive data analysis, based on the researcher's initial impressions from reviewing the raw data. As the research advanced, peer validation was incorporated, and through deductive analysis, the final categories and codes were determined.
Emotional and Pedagogical Characteristics
The study explores the emotional landscape of these teachers, and their perceptual and pedagogical aspects as human beings and professional educators. Moreover, it observes them as change agents. The social movement theory is used in this research as the theoretical framework for conducting this observation.
The findings reveal teachers often experience a dichotomy in their emotional responses to CC. Personally, many of them feel overwhelmed by "climate anxiety" and existential dread. Professionally, however, they express positive emotions. This emotional gap between their personal and professional lives underscores the complexity of teaching such a charged topic.
Pedagogically, the study finds that these teachers employ three primary strategies to teach CC: knowledge transfer, action, and modeling. These methods are part of a broader strategy to foster change within schools' environment and beyond. Despite facing numerous challenges, these educators demonstrate high self-efficacy in teaching CC, though they often lack the necessary resources and institutional support to fully implement their teaching strategies.
Teachers as change agents
The study uses Social Movement Theory as a framework to understand the role of these teachers as change agents. Teachers who teach CC in Israel are seen as part of a broader social movement aimed at promoting environmental awareness and action. These educators do not perceive themselves as traditional environmental activists, yet their teaching practices reflect activist behaviors, such as encouraging pro-environmental behavior and fostering a sense of environmental responsibility in their students.
The study also reveals a gap between teachers’ self-perception and their actual involvement in the public sphere. Even without labeling themselves as activists, they embody the principles of environmental activism by fostering eco-consciousness among students. This underscores the subtle yet influential role teachers play in societal transformation.
Implications
The findings and the gaps identified add up to imply that CC is probably still a controversial and complicated subject to practically implement in the pedagogical arena. It has important implications for teacher training and Israeli's educational policies. To effectively teach CC, teachers need more comprehensive training that addresses both the scientific and emotional aspects of the subject. Professional development programs should focus on building teachers' confidence in their ability to teach CC, as well as providing them with the necessary resources and support to do so.
Moreover, the study suggests that CCE should be integrated into the curriculum in a way that encourages interdisciplinary learning and collaboration. Teachers from various disciplines can contribute to a more holistic understanding of CC and its impacts. This interdisciplinary approach can help students see the connections between environmental issues and other aspects of their lives, fostering a deeper understanding and a greater sense of responsibility.
Conclusion
This research sheds light on the personal and professional experiences of teachers in Israel who are pioneering CCE. These teachers, though few in number, are making significant strides in integrating CC into their teaching practices, often without the support or recognition they deserve. Their work highlights the critical role that educators can play as agents of change, not only in the classroom but in society at large.
To fully realize the potential of CCE in Israel, more resources and support are needed for teachers, along with comprehensive training programs that address both, pedagogy and emotional dimensions of the subject. By equipping teachers, Israel can better prepare its students to face future environmental challenges and foster a generation of environmentally responsible citizens.
This research provides a valuable contribution to the field of CCE, offering insights that can inform teacher training, curriculum development, and national education policies.

Authors

• Shani Shpilman Hirshberg, Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts

• Dafna Gan, Open university of Israel